Unknown cooper's tool?

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Got this in a box of goodies. Entire tool is hardened. Edges are chalked to show Demensions/taper. Curvature is approximately based on a six inch radius. Thin edge is not sharpened. Neither edge has been beat on by a hard hammer. Shows signs of being hand forged. Thought it might be a cooperage tool but can find no pictorial evidence of that. Thought it might also be for knocking the tire bead off a 12" rim.

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Power hammer hack knife? of the curved variety, which, of course, is not sharpened, is thicker on top edge, thinner on the bottom edge and the protrusion works for the function of the tool. Was there a power hammer anywhere near?

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Not exactly. A hoof knife is a form of curved knife like bowl and spoon carvers use. A soul knife is a heavier tool driven by your driving hammer (the light hammer you use to drive nailes as opposed to your round or shaping hammer used to shape shoes). Most often yo can use your hoof knife but some times facing false soil and extreme dry weather one needs a bit more rugged tools driven with a hammer.

as to trimming the hoof, nippers are a relatively new development. Rasps and knives being the standard. We had a Japanise fellow at the showing school. He was qualified as a trimmer, but was unwilling to compleat an 11 year apprenticeship, so he came to Oklahoma for school. Anyway he had a rather traditinal “knife with a blade 90d to the handle that he trimmed hoves with. The instructors insisted he learn to use nippers, but they didn’t prohibit him from using his traditinal tools after he showed proficiency with nippers.

humans have been dealing with horses feet longer than they have forged steel.